Plane or Copter? Tilt-Rotor May Mix Both in Civil Use
- Bell Helicopter revives long-ago dream of a commercial model
- New design may flow from contest to supply U.S. military
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Bell Helicopter is reviving its vision of finding a civilian market for an aircraft that takes off like a helicopter and cruises like a plane.
That dream first took shape almost two decades ago in a partnership with Boeing Co. for a commercial aircraft based on the pioneering tilt-rotor technology behind the V-22 Osprey. Boeing bowed out early and Bell handed off its work in 2011 to AgustaWestland, which is still developing the aircraft.